ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — An overnight fire in Elizabeth City claimed the life of a woman.
It happened at a home on Lance Drive, off Peartree Road, in the southern end of the city.
The woman’s husband spoke briefly over the phone with 10 On Your Side. He said he was out of town last night and his wife was home alone. He spoke with his wife on the phone around 11:30 p.m. A short time later he was woken up by the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office with the devastating news.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, deputies noticed an orange glow in the sky around 12:16 a.m. and went to investigate. When they got to the 300 block of Lance Drive, they found a home engulfed in flames. The deputies reportedly entered the home, where they discovered the victim, who they removed from the home. They performed life-saving measures until Pasquotank-Camden EMS arrived and took over. But the woman, identified as 33-year-old Stephanie Josvai, died at the scene.
The home is also a total loss. Most of the roof collapsed and the inside looks as though little to nothing is left.
The victim’s husband wanted to remind the community to check smoke detectors, make sure you know fire evacuation routes from your home, and know that this could happened to anyone at any time.
The Pasquotank Sheriff’s Office, the local fire marshal, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Fire Marshal were all on-site Monday investigating. The State Fire Marshal’s Office will be taking the lead on the investigation.
WAVY’s Kayla Gaskins went to the home on Monday and will have more updates coming up at 4.
